Fox research

dexty

Hi all, I'd be grateful for any pointers on this one. I would like to research the wild foxes in our area. Basically where they go, what area they cover etc etc. So I want to do tracking research on them probably using a GPS collar similar to studies done on geese and wolfs that are on the net. Would anyone have any idea how i'd go about getting some funding for this, or research/wildlife organizations that would be interested in working with me on it? Or even where I could get some equipment that may no longer be used from previous research? I have done quite a bit of research projects before up to MSc level so am used to that,

Many thanks

Regards, D

meathstevie

You'll have to get in touch with the NPWS for starters I think. Trapping and releasing of wild animals as far as I know needs their sanction. Although foxes would not be a protected species I think what you have in mind needs some sort of official sanction.

johngalway

Zoology department of Universities may be able to tell you something.

210

Not sure if you are in an urban area or not but it might be a useful idea to make contact with your local game club. Contrary to the impression many fireside environmentalists would seek to push these clubs will have members very interested in wildlife conservation and research. They will also poses the knowledge & skills needed to find and capture (alive) your study subjects.

Useful links for irish shooting organisations -

-http://www.nargc.ie/site.aspx
-http://www.countrysideallianceireland.org/

maglite

The advice of going to shooters is a good one cheap too. They should be very knolageable on the local.

You might be lucky enough to get a couple fox shooters posting and illing to help

ODD-JOB

:rolleyes:-

meathstevie

Some hunters in the shooting forum have been a great help for animal disease research in the past.

johngalway

meathstevie wrote: »

Some hunters in the shooting forum have been a great help for animal disease research in the past.

All us hunters are blood thirsty homicidal maniacs Stevie, did ya not know that

ODD-JOB

meathstevie wrote: »

Some hunters in the shooting forum have been a great help for animal disease research in the past.

How exactly ?

I always thought a hunters intent was to kill our wildlife , sure whats the point in researching animal disease ?

Anyway , sorry to go off topic here .
If a fox hunter knows the location of a family of foxes , they will be systematically tracked down and slaughtered .

Thats why i wonder how they could help.

I have an ambition some day to record a short film on fox behaviour , and display the beautiful and social side to these fantasic creatures ,
I'd like to let people see them for what they really are and stop ignorant people looking at them as vermin .

Unfortunately for the fox , they encroach on farmers profits , which is king above all else .
It's not the fox's fault ..... thats the way they are wired .

Between loss of habitat and hunters , foxes will become very endangered in generations to come .
Maybe when it's too late , we will open our eyes .

It wasn't me!

ODD-JOB wrote: »

How exactly ?

I always thought a hunters intent was to kill our wildlife , sure whats the point in researching animal disease ?

By providing bodies to university departments and researchers, which have been invaluable. You've got a very narrow view of hunting, completely unreflected in the majority of the hunting populace.

Stuff like this:

If a fox hunter knows the location of a family of foxes , they will be systematically tracked down and slaughtered .

Shows this willful ignorance. It is almost never the intention of the hunter to eradicate a species. Precious little sport to be gained by something that doesn't exist. There are exceptions - precious few would disagree with the eradication of the mink population for instance - but that's an evironmental concern, shared by hunters and non-hunting conservationists alike.

Between loss of habitat and hunters , foxes will become very endangered in generations to come .
Maybe when it's too late , we will open our eyes .

see, this is just incredibly unlikely. Who can really say that hunting has had a massive detrimental effect on fox populations? My area is hunted fairly hard, and yet I've seen a steadily increasing population since I started thinking about it a few years ago. What you don't get is that hunters are largely conservationists as well, and conservation and environmental interest isn't the sole preserve of those who don't kill animals. Surely logic dictates that those who hunt animals have a serious vested interest in the sustenance of populations of those animals?

ODD-JOB

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Shows this willful ignorance. It is almost never the intention of the hunter to eradicate a species. Precious little sport to be gained by something that doesn't exist.....

And there lies the reason !

The ignorance lies with you , every life you kill is irreplacable .
You show no interest in the wellfare of animals , only in insuring that a certain amount are allowed live to provide more 'sport' for next season's entertainment .

It wasn't me!

ODD-JOB wrote: »

And there lies the reason !

The ignorance lies with you , every life you kill is irreplacable .
You show no interest in the wellfare of animals , only in insuring that a certain amount are allowed live to provide more 'sport' for next season's entertainment .

No, what matters is sustainable population of healthy animals. Proper culling and control helps to achieve that. Proper culling controls disease prevalence, and in foxes is largely responsible for diminished instances of mange in large areas. That's a proper interest in animal welfare; to prevent control at the expense of a healthy population is a disgraceful disregard for welfare. Welfare is not about individuals, after all. That hunting is enjoyable is incidental to the good it serves.

ODD-JOB

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Proper culling controls disease prevalence, and in foxes is largely responsible for diminished instances of mange in large areas. .............................That hunting is enjoyable is incidental to the good it serves.

Proper culling ? Would hunters be selective about which fox , or is it a case of the first unfortunate one encountered. Do you actually look for mange or is it random ?
Nature has it own balance , and nobody should have the right to kill wildlife just because you can .
I do celebrate individual life ..... and thats probably why I always differ with hunters . I cant kill a fly tbh and probably havent killed so much a mozzie in ....since Australia 8 years ago .

Sorry for my rant . and also for leading the topic astray

I am keen to see how the OP gets on though

It wasn't me!

ODD-JOB wrote: »

Proper culling ? Would hunters be selective about which fox , or is it a case of the first unfortunate one encountered.

Actually that was the best argument for hunting foxes with hounds, in my opinion. It was more selective than rifle shooting. It's possible to be selective with a rifle, but more difficult.

Nature has it own balance , and nobody should have the right to kill wildlife just because you can .

It's a balance maintained by population control. This occurs naturally through starvation and the spread of disease, and it's not as efficient and effective as human control. Where rigorous control occurs of predator populations, the populations thrive, with lower instances of disease and more resources per head of population. This is self-perpetuating as well, as the better the control, the more prey animals there will be. In other cases, good control of herds of deer in remote area allows the herds to survive harsh winters by alleviating pressure on natural resources. Deer control is properly selective, as it's far easier to be selective about deer than foxes.

I do celebrate individual life ..... and thats probably why I always differ with hunters . I cant kill a fly tbh and probably havent killed so much a mozzie in ....since Australia 8 years ago .

I just want to see a sustainable environment, with a generous helping of diversity, and yes, I want to see sporting traditions preserved, but in all of this, hunters are conservationists. We want to see the richest natural environment possible, preserved as far into the future as possible. That's all there is to it, and as far as we're concerned, we're going the right way about it. The results are bearing that out, too, where proper wildlife management occurs.

ODD-JOB

It wasn't me! wrote: »

Actually that was the best argument for hunting foxes with hounds,


balance .... This occurs naturally....and it's not as efficient and effective as human control.

The thought of a pack of hounds shredding a fox apart , all in a days sport is horrifying ! I know what its like as I study African Wild Dogs ........
This was the reason they were looked at with such disgust amongst white africans.

Balance ...... Nature's way is best and proven through time .
Human methods have brought countless species of antelope and animals into and on the brink of extinction .

Hunting a particular species is only controlled when that species become seriously endangered !

Foxes are not man's enemy , and I hope the OP can share with us his findings on his studies .

doctor evil

[QUOTE=ODD-JOB;63
Between loss of habitat and hunters , foxes will become very endangered in generations to come .
Maybe when it's too late , we will open our eyes .[/QUOTE]

I doubt that, urban areas are one environment that foxes do very well in.

Morganna

ODD-JOB wrote: »

And there lies the reason !

The ignorance lies with you , every life you kill is irreplacable .
You show no interest in the wellfare of animals , only in insuring that a certain amount are allowed live to provide more 'sport' for next season's entertainment .

Well said odd job

Morganna

I used to do a fox rescue in the uk some of these hunting lot would dig out the cubs keep them for a while and then let the young dogs on them to train the young dogs horrific

johngalway

Did the OP get any leads from the suggestions posted? Leaving aside the ranting & raving brigade :rolleyes:

The Paws

Hi - sorry for calling here but I thought I should share this to you.

I saw a dead fox on the road side a couples of miles up the road (due to roadkill I guess) when I was out walking with my dog a few days ago and it was a prefect fox - no damages/cut etc. I saw the same dead fox at the same spot yesterday and I noticed its tail has been skin/pulled off and the rest of its body as it was before...is this normal? it looks a prefect clean cut like an expert.

[I didnt have the camera on me at that time but I dont think anyone here would like to see that in online]

anyway thanks for reading!

johngalway

It's not hard and it doesn't take long for a person to skin a fox if the pelt was a good one. Was all the fur removed?

The Paws

Well - all the fur on the tail area only was taken off just thin tail left over. I thought it was strange as they didnt touch the fur body at all.

johngalway

Ah OK, so just the tail was gone? Gun club member likely whipped it off to bump up their vermin count numbers.